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What is Movement?

The idea for this project came to me when I started paying close attention to Black Girls RUN! Here was this group of black women doing something incredible, and it was often referred to as a movement. At the same time, other similar movements started jumping out at me: Black Girls Code, Black Girls Workout Too, Black Girl Nerds, and I’ve always loved Black Girls Rock. I was interested in the use of “Black Girls _____” as a rhetorical mechanism that allowed black women to identify with qualities typically not attributed to us, while encouraging black women to own these attributes. We’re now in the midst of a movement of “black girl” movements. And I love it.

With all this in mind, I begin to ponder social movements in addition to physical and social movement. What is it that ignites and sustains mass-scale change? One of the most common questions I find myself pondering when I meet other successful, powerful black women is “How did they get there?” And then, how can I get there too?

What I’ve learned (am learning) is that “there” is always changing. It’s always moving. I could set a goal to become CEO, accomplish this goal, and sitting in my corner office suddenly think: what’s next? Another place, another goal. There’s always more to do. Or better yet, there’s always something else that can be done.

(movement |ˈmo͞ovmənt|noun)an act of changing physical location or position or of having this changed: a slight movement of the upper body • the principle of the free movement of goods between member states • an arrival or departure of an aircraft • (also bowel movement ) an act of defecation

If we break this definition apart, movement means a number of things, including physically changing your position, exchanging goods (perhaps knowledge, ideas, and experiences) with others, making a decision to come or go, and, my absolute favorite: getting rid of waste. The first time I read this definition with a budding vision for this project in mind I found myself snapping my fingers in the quintessential Z, mouthing a silent “YAAAASSSSS!” However, I’m well aware that movement requires much work and preparation. Just as you should stretch before physical movement, you must also prepare for personal and professional growth. That’s what I hope to accomplish here.